Everybody has fun with "Top 10" lists, and they sometimes comprise information that you can precisely use to improve your life or achieve a personal goal. If you're serious about construction big, muscular arms, then this is the list for you! But before I give you my Top 10 list for arm-building success, let me explicate my option criteria.
First, the exercises on this list are straightforward and for beginners who need to start with a solid foundation in arm-building fundamentals in order to achieve long-term success from their biceps, triceps and forearm workouts. Though I've said that these exercises are simple, this does not mean that they're easy. Their simplicity lies in the intuitive benefits that come from each arm-building movement and the fact that you can do these exercises with a minimal time commitment. Getting the most from these exercises will still require careful attentiveness to training technique and workout variety - the 2 keys to arm-building success that are not always easy for beginning bodybuilders.
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In my experience, you're a beginner if you've been training your arms once or twice per week for 6 months or less. You're also a beginner if you been trying to build your arms for more than 6 months with exercises other than those provided on my list. Why? Because if you haven't mastered the arm-building exercises listed in my Top 10, you're not ready for the intermediate or developed workout methods that you'll ultimately need to build truly Awesome Arms.
Second, to make my Top 10 list, the equipment needed for each arm-building rehearsal must be universally available. That means that you can do all of these exercises with dumbbells, an Ez-curl bar and a basic workout bench which you can find in any gym or health club. You can also do these exercises at home with a very small speculation in this equipment for your home gym. There's no need for fancy machines or trendy gimmicks here.
Finally, each of my Top 10 arm-building exercises will help you to simultaneously build mass, shape and power in your biceps, triceps and forearms. These muscle areas are directly targeted while each rehearsal to maximize growth and efficiency from your workouts.
Now that I've told you how I came up with my list, here are the Top 10 exercises for construction the big, muscular arms that you desire! They're not listed in any particular order, so there's no fancy to think that one particular rehearsal is better than another. You must resolve what works best for you straight through experimentation with each exercise. But rest assured that any arm-building program that includes all of these exercises will absolutely add inches, symmetry and power to your biceps, triceps and forearms.
1. Ez Bar Preacher Curls
The Ez bar preacher curl is one of my all time popular biceps exercises. The preacher bench is a terrific training tool as it forces the biceps to work in relative isolation from the back and shoulders. Unlike standing barbell curls which normally involve biceps-cheating torso swing, preacher curls keep your arms at an angle that forces your biceps to contribute the leverage needed to lift the weight. The Ez curl bar offers both narrow-grip and wide-grip hand positions. When you use the narrow grip, your hands are in a semi-neutral position and therefore growth involvement of the brachioradialis in the curling motion. If you have no sense with preacher curls, you should probably begin with the narrow-grip position.
As you become more experienced with this rehearsal you should move to the wider grip as it forces supination or a "palms up" positioning of your hands. Since the biceps function primarily as a hand-supinator, the more you supinate your hands the more resistance you will place on your biceps. If you've got the potential to build biceps peaks, Ez bar preacher curls will precisely tap that potential.
2. Dumbbell Preacher Curls
The dumbbell preacher curl is someone else one of my popular biceps builders. This rehearsal precisely allows you to make the mind-body association so valuable to arm-building success. While many competing bodybuilders use this rehearsal exclusively as a "shaper" while pre-contest training, the dumbbell preacher curl also works as a grand mass maker when used in a pyramid cycle. In fact, this rehearsal is the best high intensity bodybuilding movement for simultaneously adding size and shape to your biceps.
3. Dumbbell attentiveness Curls
As the name suggests, this rehearsal places concentrated resistance on the biceps when performed properly. Besides construction your biceps, this rehearsal also stresses and develops the brachialis. The brachialis is a true forearm flexor. It originates on the lower previous surface of the humerus, ends on the previous surface of the coronoid process of the ulna (the large bone on the inside of the forearm) and is graphic on the surface of the upper arm between the biceps and the lateral head of the triceps. Development of the brachialis and biceps gives the front of your upper arms that thick, dense look that says "mess with me at your own risk!!"
4. Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls
This rehearsal is one of the best biceps builders ever as long as you sit on a bench that has a back rest to prevent torso movement. Too many habitancy do this rehearsal either standing or sitting on a bench without back support. In order to make sure that your biceps get the most work from this movement you must stabilize your torso so as to prevent any jerking motion. Also, remember to supinate your hands throughout each repetition to stimulate maximum growth for your biceps.
5. Ez Bar Triceps Extensions
This exercise, also known as "Skull crushers" is a terrific mass-builder for your triceps. For maximum growth, Ez bar triceps extensions require that you keep your upper arms in a position perpendicular (90 degrees) to the rehearsal bench throughout each repetition. If this position causes you any elbow strain or discomfort, you can lower the angle by thoughprovoking your arms slightly forward to sell out the stress on your elbows. Don't worry - production this minor adjustment won't impede your ability to get the benefits of this exercise.
You should also place your hands in the narrow-grip position on the Ez bar which, when combined with permissible arm position, ensures that each triceps head receives maximum resistance throughout the rehearsal motion. Lower and enlarge the weight in a smooth, continuous appeal without jerking or swinging the bar with your back or shoulders. When done correctly, you can't beat Ez bar triceps extensions for construction big, muscular triceps.
6. Triceps Pushups
You're probably well-known with acceptable pushups which are performed with your arms in a shoulder width position. While acceptable pushups involve the triceps, chest and shoulders in the "pushing" motion, triceps pushups are designed to minimize chest and shoulder involvement so as to maximize training resistance on the triceps. This rehearsal is deceptively straightforward in that it appears to the untrained eye as just someone else pushup. But like every rehearsal on my Top 10 list, technique is very leading and permissible hand position determines either these pushups will add muscular inches to your triceps.
For permissible performance, take a acceptable pushup position with your hands and arms extended and shoulder-width apart. Then slide your hands closer together until your thumbs nearly touch each other. This is the beginning position. With your hands in this position, gently lower your arms underneath you and then push yourself back up to the beginning position as you would with quarterly pushups. Make sure that you keep your back straight and your head up for maximum resistance on your triceps. As you enlarge your arms, concentrate mentally on maintaining permissible form and technique with each repetition. For added resistance or pyramid cycles, have a training buddy gently place a 5-10 pound barbell plate on your back to force your triceps to work harder and build greater mass.
7. Seated Triceps Dips
Seated triceps dips are someone else terrific triceps builder, yet I can count on one hand the whole of times I've seen anyone doing them in the gym. Maybe habitancy ignore them because, like triceps pushups, they look too straightforward to do any good. Well, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding, and seated triceps dips have precisely added valuable power and density to my triceps.
To do this exercise, sit on a workout bench with your legs together and extended on the floor in front of you. Your arms should be fully extended and shoulder-width apart behind you. Slide your body slightly forward to hang yourself so that your arms are bearing your bodyweight between the bench and the floor. With your arms extended, lower yourself as though to sit on the floor and then push yourself back up by extending your arms and returning to the beginning position. This exercise, when performed properly, will add grand power, shape and definition to your triceps - guaranteed!
8. Single-Arm Triceps Extension
The single-arm triceps extension, also known as the "French dumbbell press" is a triceps-builder that I propose primarily as a shaping movement. Although it is potential to build mass with this exercise, the over-head arm position may prevent you from using sufficient weight to generate the type of power and mass-building potential ready from Skull crushers and triceps pushups. You should experiment with this rehearsal and use it in a manner that gives you the best results. But remember, I do not propose using heavy weight with this movement because of the risk of shoulder injury. Consistent use of light-to-moderate weight will contribute the best results from this triceps builder.
9. Reverse-Grip Ez Bar Curls
This rehearsal puts primary stress on the brachioradialis and extensor muscles of the dorsal or outer surface of your forearms. Since your hands are pronated in the narrow-grip position, your wrists are extended which forces involvement of the extensor carpi radialis and extensor carpi ulnaris. This pronated or "palms down" positioning of the hands also takes the biceps out of this exercise, which isolates the brachioradialis as the primary forearm flexor. If you're serious about construction big, muscular forearms, reverse-grip Ez bar curls are a good first step.
10. Wrist Curls
Wrist curls work to invent the two large muscles on the inside measure of the previous surface of the forearm. These muscles, the flexor carpi ulnaris and flexor carpi radialis, are the wrist flexors and concentrate to form a thick, muscular region from the elbow to the lower forearm. While these muscles do valuable work while your biceps curling movements, wrist curls separate these flexors so as to maximize resistance on this section of your forearms. If you want to add thickness and power to your inner forearms, heavy wrist curls will do the job.
So, there you have it - my Top 10 list of arm-building exercises for beginning bodybuilders. Try them, have fun with them, and make sure that you use safe amounts of weight and permissible training technique with every exercise. You'll be very happy with the results!
The 10 Best Arm construction Exercises for starting Bodybuilders